Eberhard Weber, Stages of a Long Journey

German bassist Eberhard Weber played a crucial role in freeing jazz from its American roots. Many of his albums are masterpieces of creative music, which helped establish ECM Records as a global brand, and his innovative use of looping techniques forged new ground for solo performance. So Weber has earned the right to look back in pleasure: Stages of a Long Journey is a crystal-clear recording of a 65th birthday concert held in his home town, Stuttgart.

Guests such as Jan Garbarek and Marilyn Mazur play wonderfully, and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra flesh out famous Weber tunes such as The Colours of Chloe and Silent Feet. The influence of composer Michael Gibbs can be heard in Weber's orchestrations, a soundworld further enhanced by the vibes of Gary Burton (one of Gibbs' early champions). Yet Weber always leads from the bass, with a timbre that rings true in any context, ending the album on the solo Air.